Joanne Bodin: Author and Poet

Orchid of the Night

Kyle’s life begins to unravel when a terrible fire consumes his aunt’s orchid estate on Maui destroying their livelihood, and killing his only living relative. He moves to Tempe, Arizona, bringing the only orchid to survive the fire—the Dracula vampira. Finding solace in the gay community of Ixtlan, Kyle begins to heal from his troubled past, but even his new identity as Tom Tanner cannot protect him from his tragic fate.

“Murders, assumed identities, a Yaqui medicine man, a gay commune in the desert, eerie dreams, a gold bracelet, and Dracula vampira orchids await the reader of Orchid of the Night. The two protagonists, Kyle O’Sullivan and Andy Gomez, become entangled in the secrets and lies of both gay and straight lives, each with their own abuses and duplicities. This novel is truly an exciting read.”

– David Leon Higdon, Ph.D., Paul Whitefield Horn Professor of English (Texas Tech University) and Honors Professor of English, (University of New Mexico).

“Bodin seeds her characters with the kinds of unique, of-course experiences that make eccentric people magnetic. She relies on accurate research in areas like orchid discovery and Native American history to bring detail and credibility to the protean Kyle, leaving the reader drawn to his tales in fascination, yet suspicious of his identity-shifting ambitions.”

Gary Meyer, Ph.D., President of the Pleurothallid Alliance

Read Joanne’s Interview about Orchid of the Night on the SouthWest Writers website.

Joanne discusses the background for the novel, which is inspired by true events. She also discusses research into the Gay Liberation Movement and how that influenced her choice to use the gay sanctuary called Ixtlan. She also talks about her love of the written word and how poetry has been the mainstay of her writing career.